My husband and I were talking to our 10 and 13 year old kids last night about history related topics and what they are learning in school. I was highly disturbed by the lack of what they knew. I don't feel that the education I had received was top-notch, but they didn't have a clue about most things we were asking them about! I swear, for every new thing they teach kids now, they take away something basic that used to be taught. Their spelling and grammar is atrocious and almost to the point that it is embarrassing. I know it isn't just my kids, either; anyone who has seen a Facebook page or text message of the majority of people under the age of 25 knows what I mean.
So, I am desperately seeking out real, above-standard educational materials that we can use at home. I know that we can visit museums to teach them about some things, but my husband and I don't have a great deal of free time with our work schedules to do many things like that. I'd love recommendations on history encyclopedias, science materials, non-fiction books, biographies of historical figures, materials with random facts, anything that will get them to learn what they aren't getting at school. I don't like them in front of the tv all day, but if they are watching educational shows, then I'm okay with it. If there are books of science experiments that they can do at home, that would also be great. We have decided that from now on, these will be the kinds of birthday and Christmas gifts they will get rather than toys and games with no value to them. Any advice on other things I can do to help them with all of this would be greatly appreciated!
Also, since I am throwing the topic out, I would love recommendations on great historical locations that we can take family vacations to. We only have the opportunity to do so once a year at best, and with a family of 7, it has to be very inexpensive. Most of our vacation budget goes towards travel and hotel expenses, but we want them to be able to experience things as well as just reading about them. Thanks so much in advance mamas!
You moms are absolutely phenomenal! Thank you SO MUCH for all the information. I can't wait to get started on all of it with my kiddos!
Living in Richmond, VA, the historical world is at our fingertips, or a 2 hour drive in any direction. I feel like my kids get more hands on history experience with me than at school any day! Jamestown, Williamsburg, heck, even Monument Ave... the Holocaust museum, Washington DC... we have it all, right here, and I LOVE it :)
Go to a historical reenactment. I know there are some in your area. I live in the St Charles MO area and am a reenactor. We do French and Indian war and are shocked sometimes how little kids, and even parents know about things. We feel that we are there to educate the public as well as enjoy ourselves. Our camp is always open for questions and my father also goes to elementary schools to talk about the F&I war and how it led up to the Revolution. He brings objects to the schools and it really gets the students interested in what he is talking about.
If the kids can see and touch and participate a little it sparks their interest more I think.
My kids were born and raised doing this hobby and I have been doing it since I was 12. My dad still does it and my kids are always asking when it is time for the next event and my two oldest are marrying into it.
There are most likely civil war events close to you, but with a little bit of driving, day trips mostly you can see alot.
Our website is www.1stroyals.org there are links and the regiment history on the site as well as a gallery.
Ask questions, visit historic sites in town, and in your state, look for reenactments and talk to the reenactors, make lists of questions the kids have to get answers to.
L. D
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Wow! take them to Grant's Farm in STL and Wilson's creek battlefield to start. Have them read or watch some of the history channel special on the civil war and it'll mean so much more when they go to these places.
Hot Springs, AR has a gangster museum and it allows kids to see the "seedy" side of the roaring 20s and prohibition.
Have them read "the shepherd of the hills" and the autobiography of the author's journey to the Ozarks and then go to Branson and watch the play this summer (pretty cool).
If you want more far off destination, we have done a lot of learning through nature - Yellowstone, Grand Canyon, Four Corners, etc. They all have the plaques of information and as dorky as it sounds, we read them and my kids LOVE it. . .
EDIT - I thought of this last night. The Mississippi River is right there - read Huckleberry Finn and take them to Hannible (sp) MO where Mark Twain grew up:)
<grin>
My mum gave me the courage to homeschool....why? Because she did EXACTLY what you're talking about doing. 95% of what I learned until I was 17 were things my mum taught or introduced me to.
These days, what my mum did has a name; "afterschooling". It's the combo of wanting your kids in awayschool, and yet also wanting to homeschool.
You're lucky. There are TONS of resources available. I'll toss out a few, but heads up, most you'll find in homeschooling boards or marketed toward homeschoolers. IN FACT... go to any major .edu or .org or .gov and a few of the better known .coms and you will find LESSON PLANS. From the smithsonean http://www.si.edu/ or museum of natural history, to the CIA/FBI, to national geographic. ((BTW... one we like to do around thanksgiving is the Genographic program through nat.geo.soc. & tracing family history through ancestry.com. That's known as a 'unit study' in the homeschooling world... pick ANY topic, and you cover most subjects in it, if you want to. History, geography, science, math, english))
US HISTORY (note, some of these are classic history, some are revisionist. I think for a complete history picture, one really needs to look at BOTH! Neither has the complete story, and both sides are biased.)
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Joy Hakim http://www.joyhakim.com/ & specifically (since her science stuff is new, the history stuff can get buried, but it's what she made her name in) http://www.amazon.com/History-US-11--Set/dp/0195327276/re...
Howard Zinn, Adult & young person's
http://www.amazon.com/Young-Peoples-History-United-States...
http://www.amazon.com/Peoples-History-United-States-1492-...
World History (sorry, I'm not in love with any 'complete' set... so I make up my own... hence... too many resources for me to post here). In GENERAL however, UK world history tends to be the most complete/interesting. The BBC puts a lot out there to accompany what's taught in schools, the British Museum, also. For US sources, I'm quite keen on National Geographic Society, History Channel (I know, right?)
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/primaryhistory
http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/forkids/
http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/
just as an example of SOME of what the brits have
Science
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http://www.noeoscience.com/ ((i know it's a religious company -I avoided even looking at it for 2 years, because I'm dumb that way-, but they just gather it all together. We're talking some of the BEST resources available for science. As a science chick (two of my majors are hard sciences), there is absolutely no religion allowed in my science. Although I'm far from agnostic, much less an atheist, the two do not belong together. Two different questions. Religion answers WHY, Science answers HOW. They don't intermingle. PHENOM science program.))
Latin
Algebra
http://www.borenson.com/Home/EducatorsHomePage/tabid/933/...
Drats... my laptop is about to shut off and I have no cord! Anyhow, TONS of resources out there. And don't forget TED talks! Esp for older kids http://www.ted.com/talks
Hi J..
I understand very well what you are saying.
You had very good suggestions H., and I can add a few:
World History: The Complete Book of World History (4-8 years old- by American Publishing) It is audio and books. It is very interesting and fun to learn. It is organized something like: What is History?
The First Humans
The First Civilizations
Empires east & West
The Early Middle Ages
The Renaissance
Empires & Expansion
Power & Rights
Revolutions & War
Global Politics
I am using this as an additional resource to my home school curriculum, and it is pretty complete.
Also there are several sites for World History and American History:
www.eyewitnessto history.com
www.oldfashionededucation.com/americanhistory
The Library is an excellent resource as well, go and talk to the librarian and she/he will give you excellent advise.
I hope this info helps you. If you need something else just pm.
Good luck..your kids are VERY lucky to have a mom like you.
Blessings
Ale
You may also request a catalog for homeschooling resources from Christian Book Distributors. They are filled with books, curriculum, videos, etc. Their website is www.cbd.com. They are not all Christian-based.
St. Louis has all the museums, etc. and many are free. The location of a vacation doesn't have to seem that special, but just have your kids research and learn about the spot before you go. Start with Springfield - have them look up online or visit a visitor's bureau (or request a visitor's guide for Missouri) and then choose a location. Once you know where you'll be going, research some history. "This is where Lewis and Clark went through on their journey west." Then have them read/watch something about L & C.
Try www.mensaforkids.org and visit the resources section. There are challenging lesson plans there for all different grade levels. Good luck!
We just recently got finished watching a series called "How the States Got their Names". It stems from a book of the same name. My kids got a lot from it as did my husband and myself. When something of interest came up in the show we would research it more to learn more about the particular event or person. It touches on so many points of American History that it gave us a lot to cover. I highly recommend it!
We use a number of shows from channels like the History Channel, Discovery etc as springboards for further study. With my kids they get more excited about a subject if they get to see action first. They have no interest if you give them the book first as they can't relate to a flat piece of paper if that makes since.
I agree, they don't teach much more than the bare minimun cliff notes in school. My oldest was in the local school district's home school program for a couple years and they just kept going over the same things each year with very little additional information. My son hated it because he wanted to know so much more than they were giving him. We aren't in that progam anymore ;)
Lakeshore http://www.lakeshorelearning.com/home/home.jsp is my favorite place to buy science kits, teaching materials, educational board games, art supplies and so much more. My kids get excited when we make a trip there.
The Well Trained Mind has a forum site and one of the boards is directed toward afterschoolers. http://www.welltrainedmind.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=13
We live near Joplin and a good day trip for you would be the George Washington Carver National Monument in Diamond, MO. It wouldn't be more than an hour drive.
I would recommend reading The Well-Trained Mind. While it is geared towards people who are planning to homeschool, the information and the lists of educational resources could benefit even a parent who just wants to supplement what their children are getting at school. It's a fantastic list of books and programs, and it really helps you as a parent recognize that you CAN help fill in the gaps so your child has a well rounded education.
One of the things recommended in the book is a series of science materials called Science in a Nutshell. I haven't used any yet (we're going to be giving them as birthday and Christmas presents, too), but they look like they are both fun and educational. Their website is here, but you may be able to find better prices on Amazon.
http://www.delta-education.com/siansplash.aspx?subID=5&am...
Historical places: I'd recommend Washington D.C., Civil War battlefields, Colonial Williamsburg (in VA), historical homes (every city has them; but there are also famous ones like Biltmore mansion in Asheville, North Carolina). Caves are also a great place to get both science and history. For instance, Mammoth Cave, near Bowling Green, KY is almost more of a history lesson than a geology lesson. If you like the creepy side, there are also tons of historical "haunted" hotels and mansions, which adds a little fun in with the learning.
